Family Ties
by bluerain1984
Summary: From the Authors of 'The Chaos Series' When Inuyasha returns from over 50 years of exlie to his mother's homeland, he is greeted by long forgotten memories, and a new enemy. What happens when a tragic love story begins to repeat itself?
1. Chapter One

AN: Here we go people. A special Inu-yasha adventure. This isn't part of the Chaos Series, but we hope you'll like it anyway. Once again, all disclaimers apply. We don't own anything. :-)  
  
Family Ties.  
  
Chapter One.  
  
Inu-yasha sat outside of the hut waiting for Kagome to finish cooking inside. Songo was polishing her weapons, Miroku was studying an ancient manuscript, and Shippo was playing with some of the toys Kagome had brought him from the future. It seemed like the day was going to be an uneventful one. There had been no report of jewel shards or Naruaku in days so there wasn't any place to rush off to at the moment. To tell the truth, Inu-yasha was getting kind of bored.   
  
Suddenly, his sensitive ears picked up the fast pounding of hooves on the road. He looked up, and saw three riders cutting through the village. They were coming towards Inu-yasha.   
  
As the three samurai approached, their clothes tattered, and dusty, Kagome came out of the hut with a bowl of Ramen  
  
"You're noodles are ready!" She said to Inu-yasha.  
  
"We've got company," He muttered. Kagome turned, and stood next to him as the obvious leader of the three men came forward. He was tall, gray headed, and very grin looking. Not a very pleasant character at all. Yet he had a very pleased look on his face when he saw Inu-yasha.   
  
"Are you half-demon man named Inu-yasha?" he asked.   
  
"Who wants to know?" Inu-yasha replied. Kagome elbowed him in the gut.   
  
"Be nice!" she hissed at him. "He is, sir. What can we do for you?" At this, Shippo, Miroku, and Songo stuck their heads out of the tent, intrigued.   
  
"What you may do for me is accompany me back to the realm of my lord Katsuro. He anxiously awaits you and your company at his palace." The stranger said, kneeling on the ground before them. Inu-yasha looked at him, wondering if he were stupid or something.  
  
"Katsuro, sounds familiar." He said scratching his head. "Where have I heard that name before?" He asked.  
  
"It is the name of your honorable cousin." The stranger informed him.  
  
"His cousin?" The others all gasped.  
  
"Does Inu-yasha actually have a family?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Oh yeah," Inu-yasha recalled. "I remember now, that little brat that used to run around all over the place calling me names when I was young. He's still alive huh?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord Inu-yasha, and he wishes to see you as soon as it may be possible for you come." Inu-yasha had to think about this for a moment. He hadn't seen any of his mother's kin in a long time. What business could they possibly have with him now, after all these years? He smelled a trap.  
  
"No way, tell him to buzz off." Inu-yasha said sternly. "I haven't the time for family reunions." He turned around to walk away but then the old samurai got down on all fours and pleaded with him.  
  
"Please come back with us! My Lord wishes it, and I have never failed in doing my Lord's wishes." The old samurai said, prostrate. "All he wishes with you is the pleasure of your company." Kagome turned to Inu-yasha and took him by the arm.  
  
"Inu-yasha, these guys seem serious about this. Maybe we should go with them." She told him.  
  
"No way." He replied. "These are the same people who tossed me out on my rear when my mother died and stripped me of everything that I was entitled to. They cast me aside like a mangy dog. They can all rot for all I care. I'm not going." He stated.  
  
"But Inu-yasha, from the sound of it, it would seem that your cousin seeks to make things right between you. Why else would he send for you after all these years? What possible gains could come from sending these men after you if he really felt the way you believe?" Miroku asked him. Inu-yasha sat down on the floor and looked at them all for a moment while he thought it over in his head again. What they said made sense but then why had his family cast him aside all those years ago to begin with? Maybe his cousin had had a change of heart after all that time had passed, but it was doubtful. More than likely he just wanted something from him and that's why he'd sent for him. There was probably some demon that needed killing or a Warlord threatening invasion.  
  
Still, it would be a lark to find out what it was that his cousin wanted and then turn him down to his face. Pay him back for throwing him out all those years ago. That would be priceless as far as Inu-yasha was concerned.  
  
"Okay," He said getting up. "I've got nothing better to do, let's go."  
  
"We'll be happy to accompany you back to your Lord's realm." Kagome told the strangers. They clapped their hands together and praised Inu-yasha for agreeing to come, then they got back on their horses and waited for Inu-yasha and his friends to get their things. They made a particular point to pack all their weapons and camping gear as this was obviously not an over night trip. In fact they would have to travel for many days over the landscape of Japan deep into the west where Inu-yasha had originally come from. It had been long lonely years since Inu-yasha had passed this way. Now he was returning to the land of his birth where only bitter memories resided. It was strange for him to see how villages had changed and people had thrived in that place which had harbored no good intentions for him.  
  
When he was a child he used to play in the woods that they passed through on the third day of their journey. He remembered that he used to play alone because being a half breed, he had no friends. It was not a comforting memory nor one he wished to recall now. Now he had several friends, a good woman, and a home. He suddenly wondered why it was that he'd even agreed to come on this long trek. He didn't owe this cousin of his anything, not even his scorn. That he had saved for others.  
  
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Kagome watched Inu-yasha for a long time as they walked behind the three samurai. He seemed so distant as they came into the realm of Lord Katsuro. He was like a stone, unmoved, at least on the outside. Inside she knew he had to be feeling something. You don't just feel nothing at all when you return home after fifty years. As they drew closer to the Palace of Inu-yasha's cousin's though, his demeanor changed. He suddenly began looking about as if he expected some old ghost from the past to pop up. He even began to walk ahead of the group. Kagome wondered what he was feeling as he beheld his childhood home again. The memories he must have been experiencing, the feelings he must have been having. If only he would open up to her, share what he was feeling, and tell her what this all meant to him to be home again. Kagome wanted so badly to be able to feel and experience this all with him.  
  
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Inu-yasha beheld his childhood home in reverence. Not far from here, behind the palace walls, was the grave of his mother. She'd been laid to rest in this place where he'd dared not go. Inu-yasha suddenly felt ashamed of himself for not returning to this place sooner to see her. Being there now brought all this into mind. He would finally get to visit the grave of his mother again and lay out flowers and burn incense for her. He would finally be able to say goodbye to her in the way he'd always secretly wished to.  
  
"I'm home." He said suddenly as they gates opened before them and they walked into the strong hold of his cousin. Lord Katsuro, the ruler of the province, and the only family he had left who wasn't out to kill him.   
  
"This is where you grew up?" Songo asked Inu-yasha as they looked around the palace grounds. It was a magnificent courtyard with a small huts the servants obviously lived in, and a small shrine. On the outside there was a large earthworks fort built around it to protect it from invaders. In the center there was a huge palace made of stone and wood. They were all impressed, including Inu-yasha. The palace had not been this big when he was last there. But then a lot of things had changed. There used to be a small river which flowed through the courtyard. Now there was just a ditch with a small bridge leading over it.  
  
"What happened to the river?" He asked as they passed over the bridge.  
  
"It was dammed up to provide fresh water for the palace." The old Samurai said Inu-yasha was not surprised. Though he wondered what the servants did for water now that there was no more river to provide them with a means of gathering it fresh. When they came to the palace entrance the three Samurai dismounted and handed their mounts off to three pages who were waiting to take their mounts to the stables. It was late in the day and they had been traveling for days. Everyone of them was tired and ready for a rest bit. Including Inu-yasha who was in no mood to see any relatives that day. He had other things on his mind, like seeing his mother grave, and having a hot meal before bed. He looked over at Kagome who was nursing her sore feet.  
  
"Tired?" He asked her.  
  
"Yeah, really tired, and ready for a rest. I hope you're not going to be rude to your cousin." She told him. "I'd hate it if we walked all the way here just to walk back again." Inu-yasha scowled, he'd gotten the message, no confrontations tonight. Just rest and quiet. He could do with a good bit of that himself. The large wooden doors opened up and two servants brought out a red carpet for them to walk on as they entered into the palace. It was definitely to Kagome and the others' liking. Inu-yasha thought it was a bit much though. The red carpet treatment, come on, how corny could this cousin of his be? He wondered. They followed the carpeting deep into the palace which was quite large. There were many rooms, many doors, and still many more hallways all leading off to different chambers. The one they were heading to though was the main dinning room where they were surprised to fine a huge feast prepared for them.  
  
"Wow!" Kagome exclaimed, "What a spread. You'd better not be rude to someone who went through all this trouble, Inu-yasha." She reminded him.  
  
"Most excellent." Miroku said taking a seat on a blue pillow near the end. There were over a dozen more places set with pillows of all different colors. Some different shades of green, blue, and orange. The long wooden table was piled high with savory meats, rice, vegetables, and sweet cakes. It was truly a feast fit of an Emperor.  
  
"Please, take a seat." The old Samurai said as he sat down across from Miroku. "This is meant for you Lord Inu-yasha. You and your lady may sit here at the end. Your honorable cousin will be here shortly." Inu-yasha looked at the table then at each of his friends.  
  
"Uh, his lady?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Just play along, I don't think that they'd understand the concept of dating the way you've explained it to me." Inu-yasha told her. Besides, he liked the idea of Kagome being his lady. It made him feel a little more close to her. They sat down together while Songo and Shippo took their seats next to Miroku. "So should we just dig in?"  
  
"Sure, why not?" Inu-yasha reasoned. "If this Katsuro is as I remember him, he won't mind. The guy was a total chowhound when he was little. Fat and kind of dumpy." They each took a bowle and started to chow down on the feast when trumpets began to sound in their ears. Servants rushed about throwing flower pedals and spraying incense as two tall men in blue robes with a great following of young girls in pink robes came into the room. One of them was an older man with long gray hairs tied back in a pony tail while the younger man's hair flowed freely about his shoulders.   
  
"Inu-yasha." The older man said as he came near to the han-you. "It is so good to see you again deal cousin." He reached out to Inu-yasha and put his arms around him in quite a strong, manly embrace.  
  
"Uh, Katsuro?" Inu-yasha asked, feeling the power of the man's arms around him.  
  
"My dear cousin, how long has it been since we parted company?" Katsuro asked him, letting go. "It must be over fifty years since we last saw each other. I must have changed a great deal since then. You on the other hand, look absolutely the same. Must be your great heritage at work." The idol flattery was unbelievable.   
  
"My great heritage huh? The last time we saw each other you called me a monster who, how did you put it, oh yeah. Deserved nothing more than to have the dust cover my body when I died a cold and lonely death." Inu-yasha stated quite plainly.  
  
"Words said in anger and in haste. I assure you, I meant them not. My deepest and most heartfelt apologies cousin. I was a brash young man in those days, barely out of my childhood, and I was bitter. Things have changed though since that time. I am no longer the same man you knew then. As you can see." Katsuro said, flexing his muscles. "Gone is the fat, dumpy young upstart. I am now a man worth his salt and ready to restore you to your rightful place in this family."  
  
"Feh, I'll believe it when I see it." Inu-yasha muttered. Kagome just sighed. She had warned him not to be rude but sure enough he was making a spectacle of himself.  
  
"Please don't mind Inu-yasha." Kagome finally spoke up. "He's just a little skeptical of all this good treatment is all. He's not used to having people dote over him." She explained.  
  
"As I expected." Katsuro said. "Being a half demon has always been something of a shamed experience for him. Even when we were both young, he was somewhat ashamed of what he was. That is all over now. Now my cousin, you can be proud of who you are. You are a proud member of a royal clan. One with high aspirations and the means to make real the dreams I'm sure you've had of being a nobleman."  
  
"I don't dream of stuff like that anymore." Inu-yasha informed him. "I've got Kagome and my friends, I don't need nobility. Once I've collected all of the sacred jewel shards I'll become a full blooded demon and then I'll have everything that I want." He boasted. "I came here to see if things really had changed between us. I've found that out now and all that's left is to see the grave of my mother." Katsuro looked down at him for a time. It was hard to gage his response.  
  
"I see." Was all he said. "Well, please stay for dinner at least, and meet my family. Come my lovelies. Come and meet your cousin." He commanded the young girls. They all rushed over to Inu-yasha and huddled around him, giggling, and playing with his ears.  
  
"Hey, what is this?" Inu-yasha demanded.  
  
"These are seven of my eight daughters. All beauties beyond compare and all delighted to meet you." Katsuro said. Miroku looked at all the beautiful young women gathered around Inu-yasha and several dirty thoughts ran through his head all at once. His face went beat red at the thought of all those girls in quite provocative posses. Songo turned to him then and smacked the back of his head.  
  
"Cool it monk, remember, we're here for Inu-yasha. Not to satisfy your sexual appetites."  
  
"Um, yes, of course." Miroku said. Just then though his eyes bulged out of his head as yet another beautiful young woman came running into the room. She was dressed in a green kimono and her long black hair was like a vale about her head. She was absolutely gorgeous. "Oh my." The monk gasped when he saw her. Inu-yasha turned his head and a look of shock and surprise came over his face as he rose to his feet and stuttered.  
  
"M…mother!" He exclaimed as he beheld the young girl. She blushed to see him and was uncertain about drawing any closer. "I can't be." He said.  
  
"You see the resemblance as well." Katsuro said to Inu-yasha as he motioned for the girl to come closer. She obeyed and came to her father's side where he embraced her and held her in his arms like a loving father should. "This is my youngest daughter, Midori. She is my pride and joy. The most beautiful of all my daughters and the kindest, sweetest girl in the world." Inu-yasha beheld the sweet young Midori and a single tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
"She's more beautiful than words can say." He said then. Kagome felt a little hurt by those words because Inu-yasha had never said such things about her. Then of course she didn't resemble his dead mother. She supposed that she would forgive him this time, only because he was taken kind of by surprise, and because this was a pretty unbelievable day. Still, the way he was looking at Midori made Kagome feel uncomfortable. Just then though Miroku got up from his seat and went over to the girl. He took her hand in his and kissed it gently.  
  
"Greetings, I am Miroku, a monk in Lord Inu-yasha's service." He said. "Might I inquire as to…" Inu-yasha ran over to him then and grabbed him up by the robes.  
  
"Don't you touch her!" He growled. "You can have your way with any other woman for all I care but you will not touch this girl!" There was a look of cold merciless anger in Inu-yahsa's eyes and Miroku saw that he had better not pursue the issue any further, lest he unleash the full demon within Inu-yasha.  
  
"Of course." Miroku said "I would never…"  
  
"That's right. You'll never." Inu-yasha took the young Mirdoi aside and whispered something to her. She blushed then looked over at the monk Miroku. "Understand?" He asked her.  
  
"Oh yes." She said and giggled, her sweet innocent, childish voice was like honey, and her smile like a poem that had no end. "Would he really have?" She asked him.  
  
"In a heart beat." He replied. She blushed even brighter and then covered her face with a fan as she took a seat beside Kagome.  
  
"Is this your woman?" Midori inquired.   
  
"Sort of." Inu-yasha replied. Kagome suddenly felt a sort of strange pride welling up inside of her at being known as Inu-yasha's lover.  
  
"She is beautiful, and very strong. I would suppose that she'll bare you many strong sons." Midori said. Kagome blushed then too. Her face turned beat red at the thought of baring any of Inu-yasha's children. Then a strange thought entered into her head. She suddenly thought that being the mother of his children wouldn't be quite so bad. No, could she though? She put the strange ideas out of her mind for the moment and then turned back to Mirdori who was sitting so near to Inu-yasha now. The two of them almost seemed to be flirting with each other the way they were talking and laughing like two old friends. Kagome was getting to be more than a little jealous.  
  
"So who's the strong silent type over there by the door?" Kagome asked suddenly as if trying to turn their attentions away from the ravishing young beauty who seemed to captivate everyone in the room.  
  
"Oh that is my second son Kenji." Katsuro said. "He is my only surviving son and heir to my rule over this province." Kenji came forward and bowed gracefully to Kagome who had noticed him first.  
  
"My lady," He said, "It is a pleasure." He had a deep, thick voice, very handsome and welcoming. His face was kind of sad though, like he was hiding a deep hurt that could not be healed. Kagome felt very sad for him. Once all of the introductions had been made, Inu-yasha and the others all sat back down to eat. He felt more at home now in the familiar surroundings than he had when he'd first arrived. Maybe it was getting to know everyone again, or maybe it was Midori. She sat in between him and Kagome and sipped tea with them. She was so gentle and graceful, and so much like his mother. He began to wonder if maybe she were her reincarnation. That maybe, somehow, she'd been given back to him the way Kikyo had been given back to him in Kagome.  
  
Throughout the evening, things seemed relatively peaceful. Although it was a bit much with seven giggly girls and one particularly doting princess- who went so far as to feed Inu-yasha with her own chopsticks- grabbing everyone's attention.   
  
"Open wide," Midori coaxed her cousin.  
  
"I can eat on my own, you know," Inu-yasah grumbled. But before he could close his mouth, Midori popped the rice and shrimp into his mouth.   
  
"I know," she said with a sugary sweet smile, "but this is more fun."   
  
Kagome gave them a cold stare, then turned to Kenji, and asked, in her most charming voice, "So you're the prince, huh? What's that like?"  
  
"It is a pleasant existence," he said cooly. "I could not wish for better." But even though the way he said it was making Kagome swoon, she detected that this was a bit of a lie. Something must be wrong. His gray eyes seemed so preoccupied. So distant.   
  
Meanwhile, Songo was not a happy camper. The other five of the other seven girls were making eyes at Miroku, while the other two played with Shippo and his fluffy tail. So she also started paying more attention to Kenji. Talking to him, and laughing hap-hazardly at his subtle jokes- which really weren't that funny- but still, it was better than being ignored.   
  
Through all of this, Katsuro remained the gracious, if somewhat stoic, host. Then, as servants took away the empty bowls and platters, Katsuro stood up.  
  
"My children," he said, "I fear our visit with Inu-yasha and his company is over for today."  
  
"Awww" they all sighed. Then, the girls obediently got up, and followed their older brother from the room. Katsuro clapped his hands, and another servant came forth.   
  
"Please, show my cousin and his companions to their rooms. I wish you all a restful, and peaceful night." he said to them before exiting the room himself.   
  
They followed the mindless drone to a hallway that contained three rooms. He directed Songo and Shippo to one room, Miroku to another, and as Kagome was about to follow Songo and Shippo, he said, "And this your room, My lord and lady."  
  
"What?" Inu-yasha and Kagome both asked.   
  
"It is customary for you to share the same bedchamber, is it not? I must confess, I know little about the relations of demons and mortals…" he said quite guardedly. He was acting like a safe was about to drop on his head. Was it Inu-yasha's presence that was scaring him?  
  
"Well, it's just… uh…" Kagome stammered. They went into the room, and looked at the single bed. Behind them, the door closed, and they heard the servant running off.   
  
"So…" Kagome said, at a loss for words. This was beyond awkward for her.   
  
Inu-yasha sighed uncomfortably, and said, "You take the bed. I'll stick to the floor."  
  
"No, that's not fair," she said. "We can share the bed, but just don't expect to get anywhere with me tonight. Not after the way you were carrying on with Midori."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked.  
  
"Oh please!" Kagome yelled, scowling, "Letting her feed you, and cling on to you?"  
  
"She was just being nice!" Inu-yasha yelled.   
  
"No one's THAT nice except Miroku!" she yelled back. She threw her back pack on the floor beside the bed, and hopped on, ending the discussion.   
  
Inu-yasha climbed in the bed beside her.  
  
"Okay," Inu-yasha admitted, "So I was getting the royal treatment from them. It doesn't make any difference in the way I feel."  
  
She didn't say anything. She turned over and looked at him.   
  
"It's just hard to see you with that girl, and wonder if maybe…" she said.   
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"Maybe you're getting tired of me?" she suggested.  
  
"Hey," he said gently, 'No way. You know how I feel about you, Kagome. No one could ever replace you." he kissed her, and all her fears melted away as the two of them lay there together.   
  
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"Songo, I'm thirsty. Get me a glass of water," Shippo whined. It was the middle of the night, and Songo was tired. But she sighed, and got up. She went down many halls, found the kitchens, and was given a glass of water.   
  
Just as she was closing the door to her room, she heard giggling. She handed the glass off to Shippo, and opened the door just a bit, and looked out into the hallway. Her eyes widened in rage as she watched one of the many princesses coming out of Miroku's room, adjusting her kimono over her bare shoulders. Songo gagged.   
  
Shippo looked up at her, and handed her the half empty glass of water. She took it, drained it's contents, and then broke it in her hand. Shippo squeaked, and leaped under his covers. An angry Songo was not a pleasant sight.   
  
AN: Will Miroku ever stop his lechery? Probably not in this lifetime folks. Please, review. 


	2. Chapter Two

AN: The second half is now up!  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Kagome awoke early the next morning. The sun hadn't even completely rose yet, but she found Inu-yasha was gone from their bed. She pulled some of the sheets around her, and got up to look for him. She didn't have to look far. Through the window, she saw him out in the courtyard, with an arm full of wildflowers. He was heading over to the small shrine. Behind it was a field of graves. Some of them well tended, some left ragged and decrepit. At one of these forgotten graves, Inu-yasha knelt down, and palce each flower, one by one, on the ground and around the crumbling stones that covered the grave.   
  
As Kagome quietly walked up behind him, she read the name engraved on the stone. She knew this name. It had bee his mother's. When Inu-yasha was done adorning the neglected grave, he began to brush off his dirty knees. Kagome stepped up, and place a hand on his shoulder.   
  
He turned his head, but didn't speak. She said nothing, either. This was not a moment for words. Words were useless here. She said a quick prayer in her mind, asking that his mother be granted peace, and knowledge that her son still loved her, before Inu-yasha stood up, and they went back to their room.   
  
"She loved fresh flowers," he finally said, while she was getting dressed. "She'd take me to go pick them everyday. She liked filling the old vases with them. She hated having things around that didn't look happy. She believed that everything had a spirit, and a heart, and that if we did happy things, then we would be happy."   
  
"That's why you were so nice to Midori,' Kagome said. "She's your mother all over again. I feel awful for being jealous."  
  
"Forget it," he said. "Let's get some breakfast and go home."  
  
"You don't want to stay?" she asked.   
  
"I did what I came here to do," he said, opening the door. "Let's go." She followed him without question.   
  
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When they'd all assembled in the dinning room again, Kagome noticed several things. One, Kenji was a bit happier this morning. Two, Miroku was definatly a lot happier. Three, several of Midori's sisters were blushing. And four, Songo was ticked beyond all reason, and her hand was bandaged.   
  
"Songo," Kagome asked, "What happened to your hand?"  
  
"Oh nothing," Songo said harshly. "Just a little accident. Nothing serious." All the while, she was making evil eyes at Miroku.   
  
"Are you sure you will not stay longer with us, cousin?" Katsuro asked Inu-yasha.   
  
"Positive," Inu-yasha grumbled.   
  
Midori had a sad look on her face. She came to sit beside Inu-yasha , and said sadly, "Please won't you stay? We've hardly spent any time together, and I want to get to know you."  
  
"Now, Midori," Katsuro said, "If our noble must leave, then he must. But I had hoped to ask you for a favor…"  
  
"Here it comes," Inu-yasha said. "Just like I expected. What is it? A warlord? A nasty demon? Can't any of your men take care of it?"  
  
"Well…" Kasturo said, looking distressed, "I'd heard of your exploits. Is it true that you travel around the country, helping distressed villages dispose of demons?"  
  
"Yeah," Inu-yasha said, "It's kind of a hobby. I like to think that it keeps me out of trouble."  
  
"Then, perhaps you could help us," Katsuro said.   
  
"Father," Kenji interrupted, "I don't think we should bother Inu-yasha with this matter. It's really nothing to get upset about. It's only a water nymph."  
  
"A nymph?" the young man's father said, raising his voice, "It is a DEMON, from the depths of the river. Always causing me trouble. Keeping water from our farmer's crops, luring innocent people to water deaths! It is a menace! You see, Inu-yasha, we are desperate need of help."  
  
"So you got a nymph," Inu-yasha said. "Why should I waste my time with that?"  
  
"Because this nymph carries around her neck a shard of the Sacred Shikon no Tama."   
  
Inu-yasha and the others gasped. "A Jewel Shard?!" Inu-yasha exclaimed. "Kagome, haven't you felt anything?"  
  
"No, but, then again, I haven't been near the river."  
  
"If this nymph carries a Shard, then we must retrieve it," Miroku said, looking noble as he spoke.   
  
"Do you know where the nymph is seen most often?" Songo asked.   
  
"Near the dam," Katsuro answered. "She's appeared there most nights in the early evening. I fear she may destroy it, and we need that dam to bring water to our farms and to the palace. It rains so scarcely here during the summer seasons…. We need that dam to survive."  
  
"Fine then," Inu-yasha said. "We'll wait around till sunset, and deal with this nymph- but that's it! As soon as we're done and we have the shard, we're out of here."  
  
"Thank you cousin," Katsuro said, giving a bow. "You are most kind."  
  
"Feh," Inu-yasha said. He got up and left. Midori immediately got up and followed after him. But Kagome saw Kenji leave quickly, too. She thought about what he'd said before. '"It's ONLY a water nymph…"' What was going on here? It was like Kenji didn't want them to kill it…   
  
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"Wait!" Midori called, running out into the hallway behind Inu-yasha . She grabbed his arm, and tried to get him to stop. "Please wait!"  
  
"What now?" he mumbled. Midori looked up him, her eyes begging him to listen.   
  
"There's something you don't understand about this water nymph." Midori said.   
  
"What's to understand?" he asked. "It's got a Shard, and it's causing trouble."  
  
"That's not exactly true," Midori said. "There's something my father isn't telling you."   
  
"Yeah?" Inu-yasha asked, "Then why are you telling me, now?"  
  
"Because I like you, Inu-yasha," Midori said. "I've always heard stories about you, but most of them were bad. I knew they couldn't be true, because of the other stories about how you help people, and how you right wrongs… I knew you couldn't be an evil monster, like my father's always saying you are."  
  
"So, he still hasn't changed his tune," Inu-yasha mused. "Figures. He just wants me to kill this nymph. Why is that? What's he got against her?"  
  
"Come with me," Midori said as they went back to the dinning room to collect the others.   
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Kenji looked behind him, making sure no one had followed him. Then, he proceeded to the little man made lake. He peered into the water, and called out, "Jiang. Jiang! I must speak with you, my love."  
  
The surface of the water rippled, and then the head of a woman appeared out of water. She slowly swam up to the shore, and sat with her legs still in the water. She was beautiful. Her long, dark green hair flowed about her shoulders and back, and her pale skin shimmered like seashells. Here eyes were a clear, bright blue, like the waters of her birth. On her elbows and knees were translucent fins that were not unlike the silver veils that just barely covered her body.  
  
Then, she said in a voice as sweet and peaceful as running waterfalls, "What troubles you so, my dearest Kenji?"  
  
"My father has betrayed once again," he said, taking on of her hands in his. "He has summoned my half demon cousin to kill you! He's told him lies upon lies about you, my beloved. You must leave this place, now!"  
  
"I can't leave you," she cried. "Life without you would be unbearable! I vowed to never leave you, and I will keepo that vow."  
  
"And I vowed to protect you, that our love may never die," Kenji argued, passionately. "And I intend to keep that vow."  
  
"My Kenji… what about-"  
  
"He must go, too," Kenji said, his dearest love began to cry in his arms. "I can bear my father's wrath, but… You both must go."  
  
"Never!" she cried, "I would rather die than be parted from you!"   
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
"You see," Midori whispered to Inu-yasha. He had led all five of them to this place, to show them the truth. "Jiang is Kenji's wife. They were married in secret two years ago. And that's not all…" They all watched as a little boy swam up formt hr water, and up to the shore. He looked human, but on closer examination, his feet and hands were webbed, and he had very small, translucent fins on his ankles. But the resemblance to Kenji was unmistakable.  
  
"They had a baby?" Kagome whispered. She and Songo both were touched deeply by this sad, forbidden love story unfolding before them.   
  
"Yes," Midori answered her. "His name is Shui. I've visited him sometimes. He's the sweetest little boy I've ever known. But I fear what father's reaction might be if he found out."  
  
"So then there's no Jewel?" Inu-yasha asked getting somewhat upset.  
  
"There is a jewel," Midori said, "But it resides in father's chamber."  
  
"That no good, sorry, stinking liar," Inu-yasha seethed.   
  
"But why would he lie about a water nymph."  
  
"Because the nymph has been trying to destroy the dam," Midori said, "That much is true. She says the river is dying, and that it's because of the dam. And the truth is that if the river ran freely, then the farmers would get much more water."  
  
"That's not the only reason, I'll bet," Inu-yasha said, "This is just like my parents. He and everyone else in my mother's family said my birth was a disgrace on their heads, and that my father should have been killed the instant he set foot in the palace."  
  
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.  
  
"That's how they met," Inu-yasha said. "He disguised himself as lord. Then, when my mother's family found out and forbade them to see each other again, he snuck in her bedroom one night. Not long after that, I was born and he died."  
  
"Then your cousin wishes to get rid of this nymph before the same fate could Kenji." Miroku stated.  
  
"And It already has," Songo said.  
  
"That B------ isn't getting away with this," Inu-yasha snarled. He turned around to them, and said, "Do what ever you can to get them all out of here. I'm going to do something I should have done a long time ago."   
  
"Inu-yasha," Kagome said, "Don't go do something stupid that you'll regret later."  
  
"Trust me," he said, "I ain't gonna regret this."   
  
"Please," Midori pleaded, :don't kill my father. In know he's a wicked man, but he is still my family. Our family."  
  
"Alright then," he said. "I won't kill him… but I still have to get that Jewel Shard from him."   
  
"Then you'll need me," Kagome said. "Songo, Miroku, Shippo, you'll have to help Kenji and his family."  
  
"Of course," Songo said. She, Miroku, and Shippo, with Kirara in tail, left the brush. Kagome and Inu-yasha went back to the palace.   
  
--------------------------------------------------------  
  
Katsuro waited in his chambers. Where had Inu-yasha and the others gone? To kill the water nymph, perhaps? Was he in that big of a hurry to leave? Yes, of course. His half breed cousin had not changed one bit in all these years. He was still impulsive and reckless. But that would his undoing. Once his son saw what Inu-yasha would do to that wretched water nymph, Kenji would finally rid their family of this walking mistake.   
  
Katsuro had always hated Inu-yasha, just as his father before him had done so. He remembered what his father had taught him. That there was no room in this family for half-breed bastards- especially ones born to the heir. Yes, his aunt had carried as her dowry the right to rule over this province. That's why she had to be disposed of, slowly and quietly. The best kind of treachery… poison. The same poison he would use on Inu-yasha. He wouldn't do as he'd had done before- slowly feeding the poison into the body, to make it appear as an illness that had no cure- but it would have the same effect.   
  
He went to a cupboard, and opened the doors. Inside on a chain hung the glimmering Shard. Taken from one of his lowly servants, who'd tried to hide it from him, it hung now safe and out of reach of any who would take it form him.   
  
This Shard had given him power beyond imagining. Given him more power than that nymph, at least. He himself erected the dam using the strength of this Shard to rip trees apart and block up the river. But still, she lingered. He knew she was still there, bewitching his only surviving son. He would not have it! He would not lose his son! He closed the doors to the cupboard, and placed the chain and the Shard around his neck. Then… he sat and let the power flow through him.   
  
Then, suddenly, he heard his servants outside, screaming. They were crying out in absolute terror, "Look out!" "It's Inu-yasha!" Katsuro rose on his feet just as the han-you burst through the door.   
  
"You!" Inu-yasha screamed. "You lying sack of-"  
  
"Sit, my cousin," Katsuro said, keeping a calm demeanor, "Why don you come to me so riled?"  
  
"Enough of your innocent act!" Inu-yasha shouted, "I know why you brought me here! You brought me here to do your dirty work and kill that nymph! Well Kenji loves her, and I'm not gonna let you do to them what you, and too many others, did to my mother and father!"  
  
"You don't know the half of it," Katsuro said, and flung a small table at Inu-yasha. He burst through the wooden walls of his room, and slid down the rof of his palace to the ground.  
  
"Inu-yasha!" Kagome called from the courtyard, "He's got a Jewel Shard!"  
  
"Oh really!?" Inu-yasha shouted as he followed Katsuro down, "I thought all could humans could burst through walls!"  
  
"Just hurry and stop him before he hurts Kenji and Jiang!" Kagome yelled.   
  
"Soldiers!" Katsuro summoned, "Protect me!" nearly a hundred men ran out of the palace, aiming arrows at Inu-yasha. The fired arrow upon arrow, but the Fire Rat cloak shattered them. They threw nets to bind him, but Inu-yasha's claws were stronger than any rope. He leaped from tree tops and roof tops Katsuro, who ran at unbelievable speeds. Finally, Inu-yasha took a flying lunge down at Katsuro, and tackled him to the ground. They were near to the dam. As the two wrestled in the dust, the samurai raced to aid their lord. But from the dam came Kenji and Midori.   
  
"Stop!" Kenji ordered the soldiers. They stopped in their tracks, but looked at their young master uncertainly.  
  
"But, my lord," one said, "You're father…?"  
  
"Is getting what he deserves." Kenji said. He and Midori turned around and watched their cousin pin their father to the ground. Inu-yasha had his foot on Katsuro's back, and his arm twisted back behind him.  
  
"I should have done this a long time ago," Inu-yasha said.   
  
"You should have been dead a long time ago," Katsuro sneered at him, "Like that hag mother of yours."  
  
"What are you saying?" Inu-yasha growled.  
  
"You are a fool, Inu-yuasha," Katsuro said, using Inu-yasha's name like an insult. "Think, you worthless half breed! Your mother was in the best of health, and then she suddenly fell ill…"  
  
"You mean…?!?" Inu-yasha snarled, his eyes taking on a bloody twinge.  
  
"I… Killed… Your… Mother!" Katsuro said with a evil smile on his face, looking half wild himself.   
  
Inu-yasha let out a cry that stopped the hearts of all who had the misfortune of hearing it. Then, with lightening speed he drew the Tetsusaiga and held it's sharp, deadly blade to Katusro's neck.   
  
"I oughta kill you right now," Inu-yasha growled, baring his fangs, "But you're not worth it." He sheathed his sword, and ripped the Jewel Shard from his neck before his dropped him and got up. Inu-yasha remembered his promise to Midori. He was capable of a lot of things… but he could never make her cry. That would be unforgivable.  
  
Kenji stepped towards them, and held out a dagger to his father. He stared down at the man with cold eyes. "Father," he said, "You have disgraced this family tenfold. You have two choices. You can live in the shame of exile, as you have made Inu-yuasha live for over 50 years… Or you can take the only remaining honorable way out."  
  
Katsuro looked from his son to his cousin. Then, he looked pleadingly to his youngest child and his soldiers. They all turned from him. He picked up the dagger, and then rose to his feet. He spit blood from his mouth, and said, "I will not suffer long." Then he ran off, following the lake into the woods.  
  
"Shouldn't have known he was too afraid even to find honor in death." Inu-yasha said.   
  
"He was right. He won't suffer long. If he follows the water, he will die."  
  
"Why do say that?" Kagome asked, coming up to them.   
  
"My Jiang is a kind soul, and quick to forgive. But she has many friends who aren't so merciful." He turned , then, to Inu-yasha. "I owe you an apology, Cousin."  
  
"Why?" Inu-yasha asked. "You didn't do nothing."  
  
"I believed my father's lies. That is why I feared you when my father planned to use you to kill my wife. I am sorry for doubting you. You are a child of love, just as my son is. And I will see to it that he will receive better treatment than you did."  
  
"You do that." Inu-yasha said. A moment later, Miroku, Songo, and Shippo came from the woods, with Jiang and little Shui. "So what have you guys been up to all this time?" Inu-yasha asked them.  
  
"We did something really cool," Shippo said excitedly. Shui Lifted up his hand, and a tidal wave came rushing through the courtyard, along the canal where the river had been.   
  
"We tore down the dam," Songo said.   
  
"Although that was a little overdramatic of my son," Jiang said as she picked up the toddler.  
  
"Come," Kenji said, "Let us retire and celebrate."  
  
"Celebrate what?" Inu-yasha asked him.  
  
"My family's homecoming," Kenji said, taking Jiang's shimmery hand in his. They all started back to the palace, but Kagome turned around and noticed that Inu-yasha was not following them.   
  
"Come on Inu-yasha," she said, going back to him and taking his hand. "You're his family, too."  
  
"No I'm not," Inu-yasha said. They were joined by their other three friends. They stood together; Shippo, Songo, Miroku, Kagome, and Inu-yasha. "You guys are my family."  
  
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The next morning, as they were getting ready to depart, Midori came running up to Inu-yasha. She looked at him, then gave him a hug. "You'll always be my hero," she said softly to Inu-yasha. He looked at her, once again taken by surprise. Then, the girl leaned up in her toes, and kissed him on the cheek before she went back to stand beside her brother.  
  
"You'll always be welcome here," Kenji said. "You and your friends."  
  
"I'll remember that," Inu-yasha said. "But do me a favor."  
  
"Anything," Kenji said.  
  
"Keep the graves in the back of the shrine in better care." Inu-yasha said. "And make sure they get fresh flowers everyday."  
  
"It shall be done," Kenji replied.   
  
"It is a pity I didn't get to spend more time here," Mirokun said as the other princesses surrounded him and cried at how cried bitter tears over him.   
  
"We will miss, Lord Monk," they each said. Songo glared at Miroku, walked over, and gave him a swift crack to the head. As the lump grew, she dragged him behind her, following Inu-yasha and Kagome out the palace gates. They looked now to a familiar horizon. Home.   
  
The End.   
  
AN: Let the reviews commence! 


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